On September 26, 2015, we had a reunion
for our batch at The Bayleaf Intramuros along Muralla Street in
Intramuros, Manila, Philippines.
It's already 23 years since
our graduation at Mapua Institute of Technology in 1992. Our graduation
was held at Philippine international Convention Center (PICC). We
finished B. S. Chemical Engineering and B. S. Chemistry. There are more
women than men in our batch.
Since I have a plan to visit in
Philippines, then I decided to have a reunion with my classmates or
batchmates. With the help of my classmates and our professor, Mrs.
Elizabeth So Espiritu, they suggested to have our reunion at The Bayleaf
Intramuros which is located besides the building of Mapua institute of
Technology. When I checked their website and make a phone call to their
office, I learned that it is a five star hotel. It is also a former
main office of Philippine Savings Bank during our college days. We used
to go to that building to have a Xerox or photocopy of documents,
reports, and books.
With the help of our other classmates, we
got a good attendance. We are 18 in our reunion and I made a reservation
for 15 people at the hotel. Some of our classmates are in abroad and
some of them have appointments. We invited our professors but
unfortunately, they didn't make it in our reunion.
We supposed
to have our reunion at The Skydeck which is the rooftop of the hotel.
We chose The Skydeck because you will see the scenic view of Manila
particularly Manila City Hall, Intramuros, and the campus building of
Mapua. Because of the rain and the rectangular tables are already
occupied, then we decided to move at The Spoons which is the next lower
floor of The Skydeck. Since the menu at The Skydeck and The Spoons are
the same, then we decided also to have our reunion at The Spoons.
Before we proceed to the hotel, we had a tour first at Mapua Institute
of Technology. We want to see the campus again after 23 years. Most of
our classmates didn't see the campus since our graduation. Also, many of
us didn't see each other and because of this, our reunion became
memorable.
Well, the menu is ala carte and we ordered different
side dishes, main dishes, soups, drinks, and 1 bottle of hard drink.
While eating, we are socializing and chatting to each other. Because of
socializing and chatting, we didn't order the dessert. Anyway, our
reunion was so memorable.
This event is also a birthday
celebration of Lourdes Colobong, one of our classmate. The hotel gave a
slice of cake to her for free.
After the reunion, some of our
classmates gave the carpool to our other classmates. Because of having
social media like Facebook, it is possible to have a reunion and keep in
touch with classmates and professors.
#MITChEChm #MITChEChm1992 #TheBayleaf #Mapua #Intramuros #Manila
On September 26, 2015, I went to Mapua
Institute of Technology in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines to visit my
Alma Matter. I would like to visit my college professors but I didn't
meet most of them because it is a submission of final grades and it is
also a semester break. I met some of my classmates and schoolmates who
are current professors like Aileen Nieva, Ariziel Ruth Dizon Marquez,
Alvin Caparanga, and Cristina Aquino Valerio.
Mapua has a lot
of changes but the buildings are the same. The basketball court which is
located outside is now a new building. Most of the faculty rooms,
classrooms, laboratories, gym, canteen, administration offices, library,
clinic, and bookstore are now different. All classrooms are air
conditioned.
The canteen is look like a fast food chain in malls.
I am trying to find out what textbooks that the students are now using.
My textbooks in college are destroyed by the typhoon Ondoy in 2009. The
textbooks that I used during my college days are not existing anymore.
There are new textbooks that they are selling in the bookstore. I bought
Math textbooks like Algebra, Trigonometry, and Analytic Geometry. There
are no Chemical Engineering textbooks in the bookstore. This is one of
my reason in visiting at Mapua is to buy and replace my textbooks which
are destroyed by the typhoon Ondoy.
This is a wrong timing of
my visit. If it is not semester break, then I can see and visit my
college professors like Mrs. Elizabeth Espiritu, Mrs. Luz Lozano, Mrs.
Edna Calderon, and so on.
#MITChEChm #Mapua #Intramuros #Manila
After I visited my relatives in
Caloocan City, Philippines, I went to Manila on September 26, 2015 by
riding at Light Railway Transit (LRT) from Monumento to Central Station.
The LRT stations as well as the trains are always crowded and full
especially during rush hours and raining periods. Before, we used coins
but right now, we are using cards. The entry and exit areas are now
electronic and computerized.
After I get off from Central
Station, I started to walk along Arroceros Avenue up to Manila City
Hall. The sidewalks right now are crowded because of sidewalk vendors
and street food vendors. The pedestrian underpass is now beautiful
because the tiles are new and newly painted walls and ceilings. There
are many small stores at the pedestrian underpass.
Because of
heavy rains, I was not able to have a tour at the other places in
Manila. I went to Intramuros which is the central part of Manila. I went
to the brick walls of Intramuros. The place is beautiful and historical
look. Along Muralla Street, there are many small restaurants and
carinderias for the students of Mapua Institute of Technology,
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Lyceum of the Philippines, and Letran.
When I was a student of Mapua, I used to have a lunch or dinner at the
carinderias there.
Intramuros is also a tourist attraction or
spot especially to foreign visitors and tourists. You will see caleza or
horse driven vehicle which is the vehicle of the people during Spanish
Period.
#ManilaCityHall #Intramuros #Manila
On July 24, 2015, we had a reunion at
the residence of Mrs. Felicitas Rayo Bertumen (ChE 1974) in Vallejo, California, USA from 5:00 pm to
12:00 am with my fellow alumni members at Mapua Institute of
Technology. Most of the guests there are graduate of Chemical
Engineering and Chemistry and most of them are from batch 1973, 1974,
and 1975.
Most of the members from batch 1974 were planned
this event. Everyone brought their potluck aside from Felicitas who
cooked their dishes at home. With the help of Facebook and Yahoo Group
Messages, we got a good attendance.
We were socializing to
each other while eating and there are some guests who came late because
of their work and some of them were caught in the traffic.
After we eat our dinner, we did singing thru Karaoke and dancing as
well. We played songs from the 1970s. This is a memorable event because
some of them were not see each other for a long time already.
Later, we will have another reunion in October hopefully if some of the
members are available especially for those who missed this reunion.
#MITCHECHM #Mapua #CHECHM1974 #California
